Arm Wrestling Training Book for Beginners

CHAPTER 1

Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions in the sport of Arm-Wrestling.

What muscle groups are involved in Arm-Wrestling and which are the most important?
This is what I feel to be the ranking of muscle groups for Arm Wrestling. (I include tendons in this group as this is the major attribute in this sport)

1. Hand & Fingers
2. Wrist
(These must be equally strong in order for them to be in the top 2)
3. Forearm
4. Shoulder
5. Bicep
6. Back
7. Triceps
8. Chest
9. Abs

Is there only one way to Arm-Wrestle?
No. There are actually three or four different ways to pull.

1. Top Roll - (Pretend holding a glass of water in your right hand, without moving your elbow, pour that water into your left shirt pocket. This is the basic movement for a Top Roll)

2. Hook - The most recognized in Arm-Wrestling, by turning your hand inwards with your opponent so your palm is facing you.

Devon Larratt (#1 Arm-Wrestler in the World discusses the Hook)

3. Press - When you press with the lower part of your palm and leaving your fingers behind.

Is Arm-Wrestling Safe?
Just like all other sports, there is always risk involved. There is less of a chance to be injured at work than at the Arm-Wrestling table. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in Arm-Wrestling is to LOOK at your hand at ALL times...

I stress this because it is a proven fact that you greatly reduce the risk of breaking your arm (i.e. in the most common spot) if you are looking at your hand. I donít want to scare anyone off from pulling because it is the best sport I know of but every great sport has a danger in it.

So always look at your hand. It will actually help you win more matches because when you look at your hand, you concentrate on how it is moving whether your fingers could move a little bit to gain an advantage or if your wrist is down.

Is Arm-Wrestling mainly forearm strength?
No. But it does have a great deal of importance in the match on the style you pull.
The elbow is the key component in the lever of the arm. Therefore, I split the forearm into 4 parts:

1. Lower (area around the elbow)
2. Upper (area just below the wrist)
3. Brachialis
4. Area just above the Brach (centre of arm from wrist to elbow)

Each are used differently corresponding to the style of pulling....

1. Is used primarily for Side pressure
2. Is used for a Hook position
3. Is used for Top-roll position
4. Is used for a Pressing position

What should I do to start my match?
The first thing to do when you start is to keep your hand 1 fist distance from your shoulder at all times, whether your winning or losing, it will look like your pivoting your body. This is where your most strong.

The 2nd thing you should do is when you grip your opponents hand, place your index finger on top of your thumb instead of below it, this helps with your grip. Now, look at your hand from the side when you are gripped up, make sure your knuckles are facing the ceiling; this will straighten your wrist out by doing this. Just remember to keep everything tight and pull towards you.

One of the biggest mistakes new people make is that they push their opponents arm to try and win. Arm Wrestling is all pulling, once you start to feel yourself pushing, youíre doing it wrong.

1. ALWAYS look at your hand.
This drastically lowers the chance of you breaking your arm during a match. If you look at your hand, you focus more on the angles of attack and position of the fingers and elbows of yourself and your opponent.

2. Shoulder Distance
Keep your shoulder and hand tight together (roughly a fist distance) at all times whether it is in the winning or losing position, this will help increase the torque you need to remain in the match, just donít allow your shoulder to touch your hand.

3. Finger Placement
Place your index finger on top of your thumb not below it when setting up your hand, this will allow you to finger walk more easily and also allows you to stop a personís Top Roll.

4. TRAIN!
If you want to get big at the gym, train at the gym. If you want to be a great rock climber, rock climb. This theory is the same for Arm Wrestling. You must Arm Wrestle. Get to a real Arm Wrestling table as this is really the only place to really learn and better. Start hitting tournaments even though you donít "think" youíre ready; itís a great way to understand what you have to do to be ready. The problem with Arm Wrestling is that you WILL hurt the first few times you pull. You canít expect to run a marathon and walk properly the next day. Training at the beginning is very slow and only about your form. 15 minutes each arm should be your maximum for the first month.

5. Look at the referee
This is during the "ready, go", it will help you on timing it perfectly. Focus on those two little words and you will see great improvements.

6. Elbow Pad
You have 49 square inches of elbow pad. USE IT. So many new people plant there elbow in the centre of the pad and donít utilize all that space. Concentrate on the angle of the arms and counter using your pad. It can change the whole outcome of the match. Practice using each corner against the same opponent to see how it feels for you, then start drag motions going from front to back in a half moon shape.

7. Losing Position
Try to always train in the losing position. I notice new people in the sport starting getting good, but when they get into the losing position, they give up because they straight out do not know what to do. "In order to win, you must first learn how to lose".

8. Joint Protection
If you are serious about staying in this sport, invest in a good joint supplement. If you are looking for and everyday basic repair supplement - ANIMAL FLEX. If you are looking for a serious Supplement for tendons, ligaments, and joints for healing - SUPER CISSUS.

9. Dedication and Consistency = Success.
You have to really stick with this sport to be successful. Donít expect to win the 1st tournament you go to. Some people are gifted and can, but most of us wait a year before we win our 1st event. Consistency pays off in this sport and your gains are slow at the beginning but are very recognizable when they start getting better. Always remember, you are never as good as you think you are. Anyone can be beaten at any time. Stay focused and always train to your potential.

10. The Weakest Link
Always train where you are weakest. If your hook is lacking, train it constantly at practice, vice versa with your top roll. Youíre better off being really good at one move but also hold your own on other moves. Find what works and what doesnít and use regular circuit tournaments to work on new moves. Donít wait until a big event to try something you havenít practiced before.

11. Co*ky vs Confident
Never underestimate your opponent. There is a fine line between being confident and being thingyy. Anyone can be beaten on any given day. Donít think youíre the best. If youíre not nervous before your event, youíre not testing yourself enough.

12. Too much Training
Listen to your body. Do not over-train; this can lead to injuries, especially in your hands, wrists, and elbows. The tendons and ligaments are over-trained very easily and take much longer to recover than muscles. I would rather not train in the gym and compete injury free than hit the gym for strength and compete injured. If your joints are sore going into a tourney, it will beat you mentally.

13. Mix up Your Moves
If you lose against someone, donít keep doing the same move, try something different even if you feel weaker in that move try it. That person is bound to have a weak spot, keep trying stuff until you find it.

14. Arm Placement
Keep your non-competing arm off of the table. Having you arm lay on the table holding onto the peg at the side limits your manoeuvrability and can prevent you from pinning your opponent. Keep your elbow in the air and take it out of the picture.

15. To Counter a Hook
There are two Options for this

Option 1
Assume a basic Arm-wrestling position
- drop your wrist downwards so the top part of your thumb is facing the ceiling
- apply pressure down on your elbow into the elbow pad
- apply pressure upwards from the thumb.
- apply a little side pressure from your wrist just below the thumb joint
- as he goes to hook, you will top-roll form the lower part of your wrist

Option 2
Assume a basic Arm-wrestling position
- keep your wrist riser in a neutral position, so not high and not low like the last option listed above
- apply lots of side pressure from the bottom of your palm where the wrist meets the palm.
- try not to squeeze with your fingers on the back of your opponents hand, instead, of pressure in your fingers and let them sit just above your opponents hand

16. Respect
Be respectful to all members at the table including the opponent across from you and mostly the referees. Remember that the referee's word is always final. Disrespect at the table whether you win or lose is the worst thing that a competitor could display at a competition

17. Recovering from the losing position in a hook
This is a tough spot but definitely recoverable. Once in the losing position you have to concentrate on your finger position. You have to drive your elbow forward to the top of the pad while turning your fingers so they are facing the ceiling and in one motion pull your opponents hand towards you using your lat for power. Almost the same idea as a chin-up using your opponents hand as the bar. This move will put you in a more offensive position.

18. Foot Positioning
This is very under- rated. In order to generate power to its potential you must be balanced at the table. If pulling right handed, place your right foot centered under the table, your left foot should be pressed against the left outside table leg, you should have a small bend in your legs also. What you want is to feel like you would fall backwards if you let go of your opponentís hand. When you begin, you are posting off of your right leg and assuming a squat position with your left leg, ensuring that you donít twist your body when you drop down for the pin. Your shoulders should remain level and squared with the table at all times.

19. Power-Pulling
As I have stated before, your hand and wrist take a lot of abuse in this sport and can fatigue very easily if you're not careful. If you would like to generate more power in a static position, i.e. losing position, centre table position, then, power pulling is for you. It eliminates the pressure on your hand and wrist and allows you to train harder and longer in these positions without reaching failure.

In order to do this you must set up with your training partner (at the table) with your wrist on wrist, not grabbing each otherís hand like normal Arm-Wrestling. Just make a fist with your hand and lock wrists together. This usually puts you into a hook position.

In this position you have the ability to pull hard without fatiguing or injuring your hand and wrist. You can build a lot of stopping power using this method and I believe it should be implemented into your training schedule if you want to develop a great stopping move against your opponent.

20. Effective Strap Use
Some people never see the straps in a tournament and get confused when the referee asks if you want them high or low. Meaning the positioning of the strap on the back of your wrist. This is something that should absolutely be practiced in training. You lose your mental game when you get confused with simple questions like high or low. This gives your opponent an upper hand when he answers fast and with confidence.

When the straps are placed and the referee lets your hands go, immediately drive your elbow to the top of the pad keeping your wrist high and straight, then in the same motion, drag your arm back to centre of the pad, still with your hand and wrist high and straight.

If you complete this move first, you will have an advantage on your opponent and his/her hand should be dropped slightly.

21. Loose Grip vs Firm Grip (To load or not to load)
This is another common question. Should I squeeze my opponents hand and show how strong I am, or should I leave my hand really loose and surprise him/her.

To a certain extent, this is by preference. The Japanese Arm-Wrestlers are well known for having an extremely loose grip where their fingers sort of hover on the back of your hand. The advantage for this is speed.

The problem with a loose grip is that you can get caught out of position with your hand, or, if youíre not that fast, lose the ability to stop someone elseís hit.

A firm grip has pros and cons as well. By squeezing your opponent as hard as you can (primarily called loading), you can intimidate your opponent if you can generate enough pressure and it allows you to slow down an opponentís fast hit.

The problem with a firm grip or loading is that it can tell your opponent what you are going to do. Just by the pressure of your fingers in certain areas can give away your move and give your opponent and advantage. Also with loading, you can actually burn yourself out before the match begins.

The ideal way for me is somewhere in between. I like to have pressure in my arm giving some back and side pressure, but with a medium grip. This allows me to have the stopping power for a fast hitter, the ability to hide what move I am trying to do, and have stamina left to pull off that move.

This is something that certainly should be tried at practice multiple times to see what works for you. It may vary from opponent to opponent.

Devon Larratt Discusses Grip

Arm-Wrestling (Suicides)
Pretty much 50-60% pressure from each person, moving from winning to losing position at a slow rate, building up to a fast rate never pinning the opponent just getting the motion and the pressure. Try this for 60 seconds each arm in a top-roll then switch to a hook. Complete 3 sets of each style of pulling.

When you're doing this, concentrate on how your wrist is being affected in the winning position and also the losing position. See where your fingers are and how changing the pressure on each finger can increase or decrease your leverage strength. Each time you change the area that you concentrate on with your fingers, you change the way your wrist is used during your match.

I noticed right away that in the winning position (top-roll) that I have more torque when utilizing finger pressure at the tips of the fingers where-as in the losing position, I found I was better defensively when I utilized my finger pressure not from the tips, but from the first joint down from the tips.

The importance and the priority of gym training vs actual Arm Wrestling table time, has been, and always be, a long debated topic for Arm Wrestlers. Some athletes prefer only gym training or just donít have the luxury of a table or someone to practice with. This is certainly an individual preference and is not ideal for everyone. This is however, what I have designed over 12 years of competing at the Provincial, National, and World level tweaking it to my specific needs based on strengths and weaknesses.

I train in 4 specific areas; Control, Power, Stamina, and Recovery.

Control

This is generated from the Hand and Wrist. These must be equally strong in order for them to work to your benefit. There are two main functions of the wrist; the riser and the cup. Both trained equally will give you the ability to control your opponents hand in a match.

Stamina

Lactic Acid can destroy your ability to continue a tournament. When I refer to Stamina, I am talking about Hand Stamina, Forearm Stamina, Bicep Stamina and your Core Stamina. Itís great to have all the Power and Control in the World, but if your hand and forearm get pumped after one match, they are useless.

Power

Arm Wrestling power is generated mainly from Tendon Strength, or ďold man strengthĒ. It is the strength generated over many training sessions that gives us the torque in a match which can either help you flash an opponent off the ďready, goĒ or, in conjunction with Control, stop a flash and work your way back to a win.

This is where I feel Arm Wrestlers Power is generated from.

Recovery
Recovery training is very important for the development the previous three areas. Obviously Stamina is based on Recovery but I mean Recovery from training sessions. This gives you the ability to train and compete healthy and to recognize signs of fatigue or over training. Recovery allows you to compete more frequently, train more frequently and in-turn, become a better, stronger Arm Wrester.

Gym Training Session - Arm Wrestling Specific

The sequence of this training session is extremely important. My goal is to exhaust certain muscles such as the Biceps and Forearms so that I can work the hand and wrist as a primary and not a secondary muscle group during the work-out.

This movement has your elbow position on the outside of your body. It generates a sweeping motion during the movement. Turn the wrist inwards during the motion. If you have an Arm Wrestling Table, this would be ideal over the Incline Bench.

Towel Hammer Holds on front of fingers on Preacher Bench
4 Sets

This is a timed exercise and works on your Riser mentioned earlier. Youíre looking for 30 plus seconds for this repetition.

Rocking Dumbbell Hammer Curls
4 Sets, 4 Reps

This is a strict movement. You can feel now the importance of the sequencing. You should feel your riser wanting to drop downwards as you go through this movement. You must concentrate to prevent this or it is a failed repetition. Also maintain the distance from the top of the Dumbbell to your shoulder.

Towel Hammer Holds on back of hand on Preacher Bench
4 Sets

This is a timed exercise and works on your Cupping mentioned earlier. Youíre looking for 30 plus seconds for this repetition.

Heavy Dumbbell Partial Curls on Preacher Bench
4 Sets, 5-8 Reps

This is an 8Ē Movement which develops the torque in the area of the forearm shown above in the Power Category. Concentrate on the form. You must keep your elbow position in the centre of your body. The position of your feet is important as it keeps your balance. This helps you understand the importance of foot positioning during a real Arm Wrestling match also.

This last exercise is different than before. This time, your elbow is positioned towards the opposite side of your body. (Ex. Right Arm, Put Elbow on Left side of Bench) The movement is extremely strict and there is no sweeping motion.

Recovery

Myofascial Release (Foam Rolling)
This is something new for me but wish I had known about it many years ago.

The Diesel Crew and Mighty Joe give a great demonstration on this procedure

Personally, I use a large glass, or hard plastic bottle for the rolling out portion. I do this for 15-20 minutes. Once complete, I use a Lacrosse Ball and move it up and down my arms with a little amount of pressure. Once I find a tender spot, I press in that area firmly for 30 seconds, release for 15, reapply for an additional 30 seconds.

I have been utilizing this method for the past few months and my recovery has been incredible.

Summary

This for me is the ideal gym workout specific to Arm Wrestling. It incorporates all 4 areas which were discussed above; Control, Power, Stamina and Recovery. Like I said, this is not for everyone, many Arm Wrestlers feel more Arm Wrestling Table time is the key ingredient, and I personally think a healthy mix of both is essential.

Main reason people break their arm is you armwrestle at the bar drinking and when you start pulling, 1 person turns his head away from his hand. If you look at your hand at all times there is an extremely low chance of breaking your arm

Hi Armbender, Great article here. I have a question. I was thinking of organizing an arm wrestling competition within my families, however after doing some research about arm wrestling and humerus fracture I started to scare. Can you provide me the information of how to be a good referee and prevent this from happening?
I know some of the ways are:
1) Always look at your hand when arm wrestling.
2) Never drink before arm wrestling.
3) Make sure you have a flat proper table to arm wrestling.
4) Elbow never leaves the table.
5) Warm up before you go for the competition.

Hi Armbender, Great article here. I have a question. I was thinking of organizing an arm wrestling competition within my families, however after doing some research about arm wrestling and humerus fracture I started to scare. Can you provide me the information of how to be a good referee and prevent this from happening?
I know some of the ways are:
1) Always look at your hand when arm wrestling.
2) Never drink before arm wrestling.
3) Make sure you have a flat proper table to arm wrestling.
4) Elbow never leaves the table.
5) Warm up before you go for the competition.

Always keep your shoulders square with the table. New people should never attempt to twist your shoulders in or out.

And always keep your shoulder to the outside of your hand. Ie. if your pulling right handed, your shoulder should be on the right side of your hand at all times.

Always keep your shoulders square with the table. New people should never attempt to twist your shoulders in or out.

And always keep your shoulder to the outside of your hand. Ie. if your pulling right handed, your shoulder should be on the right side of your hand at all times.

Hey, thanks for the very quick reply Armbender, I am sorry for the very slow reply. It is pretty hard for me to understand as an amateur without pictures. Can you show me with some of the pictures such as "shoulders square with the table" and "twist your shoulders in or out".

I find it hard to "keep my shoulder to the outside of my hand" when I am in the losing position, any suggestions?
Thank you very much.

Pulled with Larratt and some of the Ottawa High Hookers before, those guys are all top notch. Wish I had continued to pull, but traveling twice a week 2 hours one way was just unreasonable for me. Ah well.

Pulled with Larratt and some of the Ottawa High Hookers before, those guys are all top notch. Wish I had continued to pull, but traveling twice a week 2 hours one way was just unreasonable for me. Ah well.

Great thread. I wasn't too shabby at arm wrestling but have always been pushing instead of pulling! What's additionally interesting is that Devon isn't the most huge of athletes yet still excels so there's obviously a lot more to this than brute muscle mass.